Amazon has unveiled the latest addition to its range of e-readers, the Kindle, the Oasis. It’s the eighth-generation Kindle and the technology giant claims it’s the most advanced edition of the device to date.
The launch of the Oasis takes the number of Kindles in Amazon’s range to four, not including the older devices that are still available second-hand.
The similarity of the devices in the Kindle range can be confusing, so we’ve reviewed the four Kindles in the turn. Lower down the page, we’ve drawn up a table showing the main features of each of the devices so that you can compare the differences.
We’ve only focused on Amazon’s Kindle range here, and note the its Fire tablets.
Amazon Kindle
Priced from £59.99, the cheapest entry into the Kindle range has just been updated, so it has twice the memory, and is slimmer, lighter and more comfortable to hold with rounded edges.
It lacks some of the functionality of the pricier models, but includes some interesting features. It’s the first Kindle with Bluetooth audio, allowing visually impaired users to listen to the content, while the Export Notes lets you easily share notes and highlights from books via email.
The touchscreen’s resolution is adequate, but isn’t quite as sharp as the others and there’s no built-in light for reading in the dark.
Connectivity options for wirelessly downloading books from the Kindle Store are limited to wi-fi note 3G, so if you want to download books away from home you’ll need to find a wi-fi hotspot.
The battery lasts for four weeks, slightly less than its two closest siblings, but more than enough for most people.
Best for: The price-conscious
Amazon Kindle Paperwhite
Starting at £109.99, the Paperwhite costs a bit more than the basic model but comes with a significant feature upgrade, namely a higher-resolution screen (meaning sharper text), and a battery life of six weeks.
There are two connection options. Wi-fi only and wi-fi/3G version, which lets you download books worldwide without worrying about connecting to a wi-fi hotspot.
There’s a backlight for reading at night, but unlike with the next version up – the Voyage – the light doesn’t adjust depending on the light.
Best for: Upgrading from older models. A versatile choice for most people
Amazon Kindle Voyage
The Voyage, priced from £169.99, matches the Paperwhite for battery and screen sharpness. But the built-in screen light is adaptive, which means it will adjust automatically depending on the light in the room, brightening in dim light and getting darker when it’s lighter.
Using the Kindle and Paperwhite you tap the screen to turn the page, but the Voyage’s PagePress technology lets you turn the page by putting pressure on sensors on either side of the bezel – the plastic frame outside the screen.
Best for: Those who read at night and day
Amazon Kindle Oasis
The lightest and thinnest Kindle to date has the best battery life too, giving up to six weeks of power on one charge.
The design of the £269.99 Oasis is significantly different to its stablemates, with a thicker bezel on one side, designed to make one-handed reading more comfortable.
It comes with a book-style case that both protects and charges the device, and there’s also a brighter backlight for reading in low light.
Best for: Avid readers who traveller and need long battery life
| Model | Amazon Kindle | Amazon Kindle Paperwhite | Amazon Kindle Voyage | Amazon Kindle Oasis |
| Price: | £59.99 (with ads) £69.99 (no ads) | £109.99 (wifi with ads) £119.99 (wi-fi no ads) £169.99 (3G with ads) £179.99 (3G, no ads) | £169.99 (wi-fi) £229.99 (wi-fi/3G) | £269.99 (wi-fi) £329.99 (wi-fi/3G) |
| Website: | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon |
| Screen size: | 6 inches | 6 inches | 6 inches | 6 inches |
| Screen resolution: | 167ppi | 300ppi | 300ppi | 300ppi |
| Screen light: | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Glare free screen: | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Page turning | Touchscreen | Touchscreen | Touchscreen, PagePress | Touchscreen, physical buttons |
| Wi-fi only: | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Wi-fi/3G: | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Battery life: | Four weeks | Six weeks | Six weeks | Eight weeks |
| Formats | Kindle Format 8 (AZW3), Kindle (AZW), TXT, PDF, unprotected MOBI, PRC natively; HTML, DOC, DOCX, JPEG, GIF, PNG, BMP through conversion | Kindle Format 8 (AZW3), Kindle (AZW), TXT, PDF, unprotected MOBI, PRC natively; HTML, DOC, DOCX, JPEG, GIF, PNG, BMP through conversion | Kindle Format 8 (AZW3), Kindle (AZW), TXT, PDF, unprotected MOBI, PRC natively; HTML, DOC, DOCX, JPEG, GIF, PNG, BMP through conversion | Kindle Format 8 (AZW3), Kindle (AZW), TXT, PDF, unprotected MOBI, PRC natively; HTML, DOC, DOCX, JPEG, GIF, PNG, BMP through conversion |
| Dimensions: | 160x115x9.1mm | 169x117x9.1mm | 162x115x7.6mm | 143x122x3.4-8.5 mm |
| Weight: | 161g | 205g (wi-fi) 217g (wi-fi /3G) | 180g (wi-fi) 188 g (wi-fi /3G) | 131g/133g (wi-fi/wi-fi and 3G) 238g/240g with cover (wi-fi/wi-fi and 3G) |
| Colour: | Black, White | Black, White | Black | Black, Merlot, Walnut (case) |
| Case: | No | No | No | Yes |
We’ll keep this page updated with information when the Amazon release new devices into the Kindle e-reader range.
Do you have an Amazon Kindle? What do you think of it? Let us know in the Comments section below.
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